
	Platform PSP Genre Puzzle Publisher Eidos Developer Eidos ESRB E (Everyone) Released Q1 2007

- Clean graphics and interface - Lots of training vides - A number of game mode

- No mid-game saves

Review: Brain Age (DS) Review: Meteos: Disney Magic (DS) Review: Mercury Meltdown Remix (PS2)
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Carol Vorderman's Sudoku

Score: 7.0 / 10

Unless you're from the United Kingdom , you probably don't know who Carol Vorderman is. But that's okay! She's a fairly attractive, somewhat chipper British woman who apparently takes time out of her day to stand in front of white screens and explain Sudoku to anyone who's purchased one of her numerous titles. When you power the PSP on, she'll explain the origins of the game, and will give tutorial videos if you feel so inclined.

But other than that, this is pretty much just Sudoku.

I have to question the release of any sudoku video games. You can get books featuring tons of puzzles for almost free, which are a lot more portable than any video game system and doesn't require any batteries. Sudoku was a mere bonus game as part of the larger Brain Age package, not to mention the large number of

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other casual game packages that have been popping up. And the PSP even lacks the touch screen of the DS, so it's not quite as intuitive. So why exactly would you want to play Sudoku on a video game system?

Well, it's great for beginners, for one. The videos, as mentioned, help orient those overwhelmed with the all of the numbers.

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After the initial tutorials, the videos are grouped into a variety of different hints, ranked from the easier to more advanced tactics. There are hint modes, and options to tell you all of the possible number that can be entered into a given square or point out any errors, although these disqualify you from getting a high score. There's also technically a whole ton of puzzles of varying difficulty – over a million, if you're to believe the PR materials. The graphics are clean, and the music is also pretty calm and soothing, even though there’s only one song.

There are a ton of different modes. In addition to the standard Sudoku games, there are timed Arcade modes such as Beat the Clock and Extra Time, the latter of which puts you on a time limit and grants you extra seconds for each successful line. Two other modes, Perfection and 3 Strikes, limit the amount of times you can screw up. There's also a Career mode complete with seven different brackets. There are also a few competitive games for multiplayer, including a Head-to-Head over wireless, and two other modes played on a single PSP. Finally, there's a neat little extra where you can create your own puzzle and have the computer solve it automatically. A novelty, sure, but amusing.

It's hard to knock this package, considering it does what it sets out to do, and does it pretty well. The only real problem is the inability to save midway through a puzzle, in case you're frustrated and need to take a break without draining the PSP battery. But if you'd rather get your Sudoku fix from a video game rather than a newspaper, this certainly is a decent choice.

- Kurt Kalata

(July 3, 2007)